Self-closing oil-cup.



D. H. TWAITS.

SELF CLOSING OIL CUP.-

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30. 1913.

1,156,1 14. Patented 00t.12,1915.

DANIEL I-I. TWAITS, OF' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SELF-CLOSING OIL-CUP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 12, I915.

Application filed December 30, 1913. Serial No. 809,462.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL H. TwArrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Self-Closing Oil- Cups, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to oil cups of a type having a hollow body portion and a hinged cover closing an open upper end, and in which a spring is provided for holding this cover closed.

The object of my invention is to provide such an oil cup, simple in construction and which shall have a simple, efficient spring device for closing the cover and holding it in its closed position.

My invention is hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawing and the essential characteristics set forth in the claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the oil cup showing the cover closed; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the oil cup showing the spring device; Fig. 3 is a plan View of the oil cup with the cover removed showing the position of the spring; Fig. 4 is a central vertical section showingamodified form of the spring device, and Fig. 5 is a plan of the same showing the cover removed.

One form of an oil cup is shown in the drawings, being substantially tubular in form having an intermediate angular portion 10 below which are suitable screw threads 11. Above the angular portion 10 the cup extends upwardly in a substantially cylindrical form at 12, and is squared off leaving an open upper end 14:. The angular portion 10 provides a convenient means for screwing the cup into position.

A suitable cover 15 is provided for closing the upper end of the cup. As shown, this cover is made of a flat piece of metal having a downwardly turned bead 16 normally engaging the sides of the upper portion of the cup. The cover is held in position by a spring device which comprises a spring wire 18 looped around a suitable rivet or pin 19 rigid in the cap near one side there of and extending toward the other side, as shown at 20, in Fig. 3. Here these portions 20 are each bent into a coil 21 preferably of nearly two turns, and projecting ends 22 extend diagonally downwardly and engage the sides of the interior of the cup. Passing through the coils 21 is a pin 24 having each end securely mounted in the wall of the upper end of the cup, as shown at 25. Now the spring is so bent that the extending portions 22 and the loop 18 tend to come together and as the portions 22 engage the sides of the cup the loop 18 is necessarily pulled downwardly drawing the cap with it snugly into position, closing the upper end of the cup. swings on the pin 2 L as a hinge. To conveniently raise the cover I provide a pro ection 26 at the side of the cover opposite the hinge, by flattening the bead l6 and pressing it upwardly. This is preferably curved upwardly on the inside, so that the cover may be conveniently raised by engaging this projection with the spout of an oil can, from which the oil cup is then filled. This projection is also indicated'in dot and dash lines in Fig. 3, which shows the pe riphery of the cover.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the wire extends from each of the loops 21, which may be of one or two turns, rearwardly through the wall of the cup at 30, and then downwardly as at 31 and through the wall of the cup again as at 32, where it is upset-on the inner end as at 33. Thus a spring device is securely mounted in the cup member and the cover is swung upwardly as in the form first described, the coils 21 acting generally as a hinge while allowing resiliency of the spring device.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination of an oil cup having an open upper end, a substantially flat cover adapted to close said upper end, a spring secured to said cover having an intermediate coil near one side of the cup and having portions extending from the coil and engaging the sides of the cup whereby aid cover may be swung open upwardly substantially about the coil as a hinge.

2. The combination of an oil cup having an open upper end, a substantially flat cover adapted to close said upper end, a spring having two legs one of which i secured to said cover, the other of which engages the side of the oil cup, and an intermediate coil adjacent the side of the oil cup, said coil forming a hinge about which the cover is swung when it is opened upwardly.

3. The combination of an oil cup having The cover on being opened,

an open upper end, a substantially flat cover adapted to close said upper end, a spring having two legs one of which is secured to the cap near one side thereof and the other of which engages the side of the cup, and a coil bet-ween said legs tending to draw the leg attached to the cover downwardly, said coil being adjacent one side of the oil cup and forming a hinge about which the cover swing when opened upwardly.

4;. The combination of an oil cup having an open upper end, a cover for closing said open end, a spring having a loop secured to the cover near one side thereof, the sides of said loop extending substantially across the interior of the cup, two coils in said spring, said spring having two portions extending from each of said coils and engaging the sides of the oil cup.

5. The combination of an oil cup having an open upper end, a cover for closing said upper end, a spring having a loop secured to the cover near one side thereof, the sides of said loop extending across the cup, coils in said spring, a pin carried by the cup extending through said coils and forming a hinge about which the cover swings, and projecting portions of the spring engaging the sides of the cup said spring being so arranged that the loop tends to pull downwardly thereby holding the cover in position.

6. The combination of an oil cup having an open top, a cover for closing said top, and a spring device for holding said cover closed, comprising a loop member secured to the cover near one side thereof and having straight flaring sides extending toward the opposite side of the cover inside the cup and being bent into coils and then extending downwardly and across the cup engaging the sides thereof, said loop and said downward extensions tending to spring together whereby the cover is held closed, and a pin extending through said coils forming a hinge about which the cover swings.

7. The combination of an oil cup having an open upper end, a cover for closing said upper end, a spring having an intermediate coil and portions extending each way from the coil, one of said portions engaging the side of the oil cup and the other secured to the cover whereby said cover may be swung upwardly substantially about the coil as a hinge.

-8. The combination of an oil cup having an opening, a cover adapted to close said opening, a spring secured to the cover and comprising a wire having a portion secured to the cap extending toward one side of the oil cup, a coil formed in said portion adjacent the oil cup, and a portion extending from the coil and tightly engaging the side of the cup whereby the cover may be swung upwardly substantially about the coil as a hinge.

9. The combination of an oil cup having an open upper end, a cover adapted to close the upper end, a spring secured to the cover and comprising a wire having a portion bent upon itself and secured to the cap extending toward one side of the oil cup, coils formed in each portion adjacent the oil cup, and portions extending from the coil and engaging the side of the cup whereby the cover may be swung upwardly substantially about the coil as a hinge.

In testlmony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two wltnesses.

DANIEL H. TWAITS.

Vitnesses:

GEORGE H. HALE, KARL KUHNEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

